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On top or underneath: where does the general factor of psychopathology fit within a dimensional model of psychopathology?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 April 2020

Philip Hyland Open the ORCID record for Philip Hyland [Opens in a new window] ,
Jamie Murphy ,
Mark Shevlin Open the ORCID record for Mark Shevlin [Opens in a new window] ,
Richard P. Bentall Open the ORCID record for Richard P. Bentall [Opens in a new window] ,
Thanos Karatzias Open the ORCID record for Thanos Karatzias [Opens in a new window] ,
Grace W.K. Ho ,
Daniel Boduszek Open the ORCID record for Daniel Boduszek [Opens in a new window]  and
Eoin McElroy Open the ORCID record for Eoin McElroy [Opens in a new window]
Philip Hyland*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Maynooth University, Kildare, Ireland
Jamie Murphy
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, Ulster University, Derry, Northern Ireland
Mark Shevlin
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, Ulster University, Derry, Northern Ireland
Richard P. Bentall
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, England
Thanos Karatzias
Affiliation:
Edinburgh Napier University, School of Health & Social Care, Edinburgh, Scotland NHS Lothian, Rivers Centre for Traumatic Stress, Edinburgh, Scotland
Grace W.K. Ho
Affiliation:
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, School of Nursing, Hung Hom, Hong Kong
Daniel Boduszek
Affiliation:
School of Human and Health Sciences, University of Huddersfield, England SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Katowice, Poland
Eoin McElroy
Affiliation:
Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, University of Leicester, England
*
Author for correspondence: Philip Hyland, E-mail: Philip.hyland@mu.ie
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Abstract

Background

Dimensional models of psychopathology are increasingly common and there is evidence for the existence of a general dimension of psychopathology (‘p’). The existing literature presents two ways to model p: as a bifactor or as a higher-order dimension. Bifactor models typically fit sample data better than higher-order models, and are often selected as better fitting alternatives but there are reasons to be cautious of such an approach to model selection. In this study the bifactor and higher-order models of p were compared in relation to associations with established risk variables for mental illness.

Methods

A trauma exposed community sample from the United Kingdom (N = 1051) completed self-report measures of 49 symptoms of psychopathology.

Results

A higher-order model with four first-order dimensions (Fear, Distress, Externalising and Thought Disorder) and a higher-order p dimension provided satisfactory model fit, and a bifactor representation provided superior model fit. Bifactor p and higher-order p were highly correlated (r = 0.97) indicating that both parametrisations produce near equivalent general dimensions of psychopathology. Latent variable models including predictor variables showed that the risk variables explained more variance in higher-order p than bifactor p. The higher-order model produced more interpretable associations for the first-order/specific dimensions compared to the bifactor model.

Conclusions

The higher-order representation of p, as described in the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology, appears to be a more appropriate way to conceptualise the general dimension of psychopathology than the bifactor approach. The research and clinical implications of these discrepant ways of modelling p are discussed.

Keywords

Childhood traumaHiTOPmental illnesspsychopathologytrauma
Type
Original Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 51 , Issue 14 , October 2021 , pp. 2422 - 2432
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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